This invention relates to certain novel fluorodioxoles, their polymers, and processes for making the fluorodioxoles.
Various dioxolanes having the following formula 1 are known from German Patent No. 2,604,350 to Stanford Research Institute: ##STR1## where each of X and Y may be F or Cl.
Dioxolanes corresponding to formula (2), below, are reported in U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,791 to Terrell et al.: ##STR2## where X is Cl or F, and X' is H, Cl, or F.
The intermediate 2,2-bis(trifluoromethyl)-1,3-dioxolane is known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,925,424 to Simmons.
Dechlorination of 2,2-bis(trifluoromethyl)-4,5-dichloro-4,5-difluoro-1,3-dioxolane to the corresponding perfluorodioxole has been reported by Resnick in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,865,845 and 3,978,030.
That perfluorodioxole has been found to form both homopolymers and copolymers (especially with tetrafluoroethylene) which have interesting chemical and physical properties (e.g., chemical inertness to hydrogen fluoride, optical clarity, ability to form films). It can be speculated that simpler and/or cheaper fluorodioxoles also would be capable of forming useful homopolymers and copolymers.